Sunday, May 15, 2011

You want sum? Come get Dim Sum!

One of the biggest culinary holes in the Bible Belt has been the absence of authentic Dim Sum. Unless you have traveled outside the area you may think Dim Sum is merely the name of a dumpling found on most Americanized Chinese Buffets. But real Dim Sum is something very different. It is not one particular dish but a celebration of several dishes. If you are looking for an authentic Dim Sum experience, you must check out Asian Palace.

Driving down Summer Avenue in Memphis evokes memories of the still surviving Drive-In theater and the Memphis of the Seventies. Summer has changed a lot and has a new assortment of businesses, people and restaurants. In the end of a busy shopping strip mall, Asian Palace appears very much like many of the cookie-cutter buffet restaurants that can be found slinging msg throughout Memphis. But as you open the front doors, you are met with a grinning face of a gold colored Buddha. An omen of joy that you will soon find behind the doors of Asian Palace.

Every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. Something extraordinary happens. The streets of Summer Avenue are rolled up and replaced with an authentic Chinatown experience. Waitresses begin rolling out chrome carts filled with boiled, fried and and grilled Chinese delicacies. Patrons can simply point to the items that they would like and the staff serves them fresh.

Let's talk about variety. The Dim Sum menu ranges from very familiar dishes like Spring Rolls and Pot Stickers to the more exotic like Pig Skin and Blood served with chives to Chicken Feet. Each item runs from around two dollars to a little over five dollars depending on the size of the dish. Served this way, you can try a little bit of everything at a very affordable price.

I started out with some very familiar items. Lightly fried golden Hong Kong style Egg Rolls and a Fried Shrimp Ball. The fried shrimp ball is an amazing golden fried plate of deep fried rice noodles wrapped around a buttery battered fried shrimp. Light and crunchy, this dish is delicious.

I then tried my personal favorite Steamed Pork Bun and a the Fried Eggplant stuffed with Shrimp. The fried eggplant is part juicy seasoned eggplant and part golden fried shrimp. The tangy taste of the eggplant is subtle while the sweet fried breading of the shrimp makes a fine compliment to the eggplant.

It is at this point during the meal that I begin to take notice of the 'carnival' type atmosphere around me. Silver carts filled with smoking fresh dishes from the kitchen are being wheeled around tables filled with families and friends. The tinkling of silverware and the silence of chopsticks can be sen and heard at tables throughout the room. The crowd is not overbearing. Many of the patrons are from the Chinese community and have brought elderly men and women with them. This is a good sign. This speaks to the authenticity of the food.

As I am taking it in, a white haired Chinese lady appears beside me seemingly as from out of nowhere. “Try this” she says. She lays a plate on the table in front of me. Amazing colors and smells fill my senses. A waitress leans and tells me “she is the cook!” I smile and thank her.

She tells me that this dish is not on the menu but can be ordered during Dim Sum. Fresh Clams and Black Bean Sauce covered in fresh chives. The owner tells me that the clams are cooked freshly shipped in from Seattle. When he said fresh he was not kidding! The clams were so tender and juicy and did not taste fishy. The sauce is a dark savory gravy that is salty and earthy. Breaking the clam meat from it's shell, I dip it into the sauce. And what...I have a steamed pork bun that I can drag through the remaining gravy....Oh heavens....

Asian Palace has been serving authentic Cantonese dishes since 1988 and has existed in several locations throughout Memphis. Today, the restaurant has made it's home on Summer Avenue since 2010. The owner is Mister Mike Woo who heads a tight-nit crew of cooks and servers. The head chef is Lisa Chen. Lisa cooks Cantonese, Taiwanese and Szechuan dishes.

One of the very cool aspects of Asian Place is there ability to serve fresh seafood. There are numerous aquariums filled with gigantic specimens of crab and lobster. Chef Lisa can take a King Crab and drop it into one of her sizzling woks filled with Szechuan chilies and fresh vegetables.

I have experienced some tremendous Chinese food in three separate Chinatowns of New York, D.C. And San Francisco. Asian Palace offers some of the most delicious, most authentic Chinese food I have had outside of Chinatown. You must do yourself a favor and take a Saturday or Sunday and drove over to Summer Avenue to experience Asian Palace.

Asian Palace is located at 5266 Summer Avenue in the Perimeter Shopping Center.